Hood catch



Oct. 25, 1938.

A. CLAUD-MANTLE 2,134,137

HOOD CATCH I Filed June .6, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR HRTHUR Emma MANTLE.

ATTORNEY Oct. 25, 1938. A. CLAUD-MANTLE HOOD CATCH Filed June 6, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR .HR THUR Lmum Manna.

ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 25, 1938 UNITED STATES noon CATCH Arthur Gland-Mantle, Trumbull, Conn, assignor to The Bassick Company, Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application June 6,

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to hood catches for securing the hoods of automobiles, and particularly hood catches of the corner type mounted upon a corner of the hood, and adapted toengage a keeper provided upon the frame within the hood to hold the hood downwardly and inwardly against looseness and rattling.

An object of the invention is to provide a hood catch in which only the operating handle will be exposed and which will require only a single circular bearing aperture in the hood for engagement of the handle shaft. Another object is to provide a hood catch in which the several parts, with the exception of the handle, will be held together in assembled relation by means of the catch lever operating spring,'and may thus be shipped in bulk in such assembled relation, the handle being secured to the other operating parts after assembly upon the hood. A further object is to provide a hood catch in which the base member may be permanently secured to the inner side of the hood by rivets or welding, while the other parts may be readily disassembled therefrom, so that they may be easily replaced or repaired without the necessity for removing the base from the hood.

With the above and other objectsin view, embodiments of my invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, and these embodiments will be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, and the invention will be finally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a horizontal sectional view through one end of the hood and the adjacent frame structure of the automobile, and showing the hood catch and keeper in top plan.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation with a portion of the hood broken away.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view along the line 33 of Fig. 2, a portion of the frame structure being broken away.

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the base member of the hood catch, and showing the spring in its position just prior to attachment to the base.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the base member.

Fig.6 is a rear elevation of the catch lever.

Fig. '7 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 8 is a rear elevation showing the base member, spring, and catch lever assembled, and showing in dot-and-dash lines the position of the catch lever when being attached to the base member. a

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of a modified form of hood catch, according to the invention, the. hood 1936, Serial No. 83,885

at one end and the adjacent frame structure being shown in horizontal section.

Fig. 10 is a front elevation, a portion of the hood being broken away. V

Fig. 11 is a vertical sectional view along the line II H of Fig. 10, a portion of the frame structure being broken away.

Fig. 12 is a front elevation of the catch separated from the hood with the handle removed.

Fig. 13 is a rear elevation thereof.

Fig. 14 is a vertical sectional view taken alon the line I l-I4 of Fig. 12.

Referring to the drawings, the hood I0 is adapted to close at one end against the lacing ll provided upon the inset. marginal edge portion i2 of. the cowl structure I3,.the other end of the hood closed in a similar manner against the radiator frame, and at each end of the hood, and adapted to cooperate with keepers provided upon the cowl and radiator frame structures, hood catches according to the invention are mounted. Only one catch is illustrated, the other catch being identical but disposed reversely.

The hood catch, according to the embodiment of theinvention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 8, com,- p'rises a sheet metal base plate! of substantially rectangular shape, and provided intermediate its endswith a rearwardly offset portion 15, which when mounted upon the hood it forms a pocket'between the base member and the inner surface of the hood. Rivet holes iii are provided in the ends of the base plate for attachment to the hood by means of rivets I'Land adjacent one end of the baseplate there is provided a flanged handlereceiving bearing aperture iii, the flange of. which engages and projects outwardly through a hole IS in the hood.

The portion I5 of the base isprovided with a pair of lanced out'and rearwardly bent ears 20 and 2|, spaced from each other and provided with oppositely projecting spring retaining lugs 22 and 23, by means of which the inner end 24 of the spiral spring 25 is secured to the base plate. The manner of securing the spring is clearly shown in Fig. 4, the spring being placed upon the base plate with the end 24 diagonally disposed between the'ears 20 and 2i and being then rotated in the direction of the arrow, so that the spring end interlockingly engages. beneath the lugs 22 and 23 as shown in Fig. 2, and in which relation it is held through the tension of the spring, when the latter is in operative connection with the catch lever. The portion l5 of the base plate is also provided with a slot 26 conengaging portion 30 bent into substantially,

semi-circular cross-section. The lower edge of the lever adjacent the keeper engaging end isupwardly offset from the rest of the lower edge, and is provided with a right angularly bent spring engaging extension 3|, preferably rounded at its under side to engage the rounded end of the spring, and adaptedto engage the slot 26 of the base plate, being provided upon its end with a T-shaped formation 32 adapted to engage at the forward side of the base plate within the pocket formed by the offset portion I5, to thus retain the catch lever with respect to the base plate. The T-shaped portion 32 is wider than the width of the slot 26 but is narrower than the length of said slot, for the purpose of convenient assembly and disassembly of the catch lever, as will presently more fully appear.

As shown in Fig.. 8 the catch lever is assembled by first engaging the extension portion 3| of thecatch lever, in the position shown in dotand-dash lines, with the rounded hook end of the spring -25 and forcing the spring to the point shown in dot-and-dash lines, whereupon the T-shaped portion ,32 of the extension 3| may be engaged in the slot 26. Thereupon the catch lever is rotated to .the position shown in full lines bringing the T-portion 32 into interlocked relation with the slot 26, the spring then forcing the extension portion 3| against the upper end of the slot and retaining the catch lever, the base plate and the springin this relation. These parts may be assembled in this manner and shipped in bulk by the manufacturer, or they may be furnished separately to be assembled after attachment of the base plate to the hood.

The handle 33 is provided with a shank 34 of a diameter to fit the flanged aperture l8 of the base plate and provided with a threaded portion having flats 35-35 at each side adapted to engage the correspondingly shaped noncircular aperture 28 of the catch lever, and being secured by means of a nut 36 which upon being tightened presses the catch lever against the shoulders formed by the flats 3535 to thus rigidly connect the catch lever to the handle, while permitting them to freely rotate in the flanged bearing aperture [8.

While any suitable type of keeper may be provided, I have shown the same as a sheet metal angle bracket 31 secured to the cowl l3 and provided with a catch engaging flange 38 curved to engage the curved surface of the portion 30 of the catch lever and inclined downwardly and outwardly, as at 39, to provide a cam surface 'for pulling in the hood as the catch lever is engaged with the keeper.

In operation the hood is drawn downwardly by downward pressure applied on the catch handle' 33 at each end of the hood, the abutment of the extension members 3| of the catch levers with the lower ends of the slots 26 causing the downward pressure to be transmitted to the hood, so that it is effectually pulled down to its full limit with facility. When fully pu led down the hood is pressed inwardly bringing the catch levers beneath the keepers, so that upon release of the handles the catch levers spring upwardly under the pressure of the spring 25 and engage the keepers, thus retaining the hood closed under spring pressure.

In Figs. 9 to 14 I have illustrated a modified form of the invention, consisting of a base member 40 of right angle shape provided with rivet holes 4| for attaching to the hood by means of rivets 42, and having in its vertically extending portion an outwardly bent channel 43. Near the end of the horizontally extending portion there is provided a flanged bearing aperture 44 engaging and projecting through the aperture I9 in the hood.

The channel portion 43 is provided in its sides with vertically extending slots 45 and 46 in which is'engaged the intermediate portion of the catch lever 41, which intermediate portion is bent into offset relation to the pivot end of the lever, which pivoted end is provided with a non-circular aperture 48 adapted to register with the bearing aperture 44 for engagement therewith of the threaded and flatted shank 34 of the handle 33, the lever being secured to the handle by means of a nut 36, in a similar manner to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 8. The other end of the catch lever is provided with a cylindrical keeper engaging portion 50 for engaging the keeper 38.

It will be noted that in the assembled relation of the base plate with the hood the channel portion 43 forms with the inner surface of the hood a vertically extending pocket, and within this pocket is housed the catch lever operating helical spring the lower end of which is engaged upon a finger 52 lanced from and bent inwardly from the wall of the channel portion near its lower end, and the upper end of which is engaged by a lug 53 formed upon the under edge of the intermediate portion of the catch lever. The wall of the channel portion 43 is pressed outwardly along its central vertically extending portion, as at 54, to form a groove in which the spring 5! is disposed.

As shown in Figs. 12, 13 and 14 the catch lever is retained in assembled relation with the base plate by means of the spring 5|, which in this relation presses the catch lever against the upper ends of the slots 45 and 46. The apertures 48 and 44 are slightly out of register in this relation, but may be easily brought into register to engage the handle shank therewith simply by depressing the end of the catch lever. If desired the upper end of the slot 45 can be slightly below the upper end of the slot 46, in which case the apertures 48 and 44 can be made to registerin the relation of the position shown in Figs. 12 and 14.

The operation of this embodiment of the invention is substantially like that of the first embodiment, so that a further detail description of this is not deemed necessary. Obviously the several parts of the catch may be separated from or assembled to the base plate, without removing the latter from the hood in a substantially similar manner to the first embodiment.

I have illustrated and described preferred and satisfactory embodiments of the invention, but it will be obvious that changes may be made therein within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

1 Having thus described my invention what I claim and, desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Automobile hood fastening means for mounting upon a hood having a handle aperture and for engaging a keeper disposed upon a fixed part in relation to the hood comprising a mounting plate member having a handle bearing aperture and adapted to be secured to the interior of the hood, with said bearing aperture aligned with said hood aperture, said plate having an outwardly offset portion adapted to form with the interior surface of the hood a pocket, said portion having a slot therein, a catch lever having an aperture adapted to register with said bearing aperture of said plate member, a spring, means on said plate member adapted to secure one end of said spring, the other end of said spring engaging said catch lever, said catch lever having a portion engaged in said slot, said portion having a locking end adapted to pass through said slot in one position of said catch lever and to interlock therewith in another position, said portion being disposed in said pocket in said last mentioned position, and a handle adapted to be engaged through said hood aperture rotatably engaging said bearing aperture and removably secured in said aperture of said catch lever.

2. Automobile hood fastening means for mounting upon a hood having a handle aperture and for engaging a keeper disposed upon a fixed part in relation to the hood comprising a mounting plate member having a handle bearing aperture and adapted to be secured to the interior of the hood, with said bearing aperture aligned with said hood aperture, said plate having an outwardly offset portion adapted to form with the interior surface of the hood a pocket, said portion having a slot therein, a catch lever extending over said pocket and having an aperture adapted to register with said bearing aperture of said plate member, a spring mounted at one end exteriorly of said pocket at a point between said bearing aperture and said slot, the other end of said spring engaging said catch lever, said catch lever having a portion engaged in said slot, said portion having a locking end adapted to pass through said slot in one position of said catch lever and to interlock therewith in another position, said portion being disposed in said pocket in said last mentioned position, and a handle adapted to be engaged through said hood aperture rotatably engaging said bearing aperture and removably secured in said aperture of said catch lever.

3. Automobile hood fastening means for mounting upon a hood having a handle aperture and for engaging a keeper disposed upon a fixed part in relation to the hood comprising a mounting plate member having a handle bearing aperture and adapted to be secured to the interior of the hood, with said bearing aperture aligned with said hood aperture, said plate having an outwardly offset portion adapted to form with the interior surface of the hood a pocket, said portion having a slot therein, a'catch lever having an aperture adapted to register with said bearing aperture of said plate member, a spring, means on said plate member adapted to secure one end of said spring, the other end of said spring engaging said catch lever, said catch lever having a T-shaped portion engaged in said slot, said T-shaped portion adapted to pass through said slot in one position of said catch lever and to interlock therewith in another position, the transverse part of said T- shaped portion being disposed in said pocket in said last mentioned position, and a handle adapted to be engaged through said hood aperture rotatably engaging said bearing aperture and removably secured in said aperture of said catch lever.

ARTHUR CLAUD-MANTLE. 

